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NCIS Los Angeles Scoop: Shane Brennan Talks Densi, The Box and More

Since the beginning of NCIS: Los Angeles, there's been an ongoing focus on telling Callen's story. In the 100th episode, Callen found out more about his father and even got a glimpse of a happier time when they were together.

According to Shane Brennan, the focus will now shift back to developing the story of Kensi and Deeks. In Part 2 of my interview with the show's creator, Brennan, discusses the relationship between Kensi and Deeks. He also teases some of the the other fun stories that will be explored this season...

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The events of "Descent" and "Ascension" were horrific for the team, yet they seem to have come out stronger because of it. Will both positive and negative repercussions from that case continue to be explored this season?

Shane Brennan: Yeah, absolutely. It's very important when we take a character through a fairly intense emotional situation that you can't forget that. You can't ignore that in future episodes. It has to be there. It's another part of their makeup. It goes into their DNA.

Particularly for Deeks, who went through that traumatic situation, there are consequences to that. And, even prior to that, that spontaneous kiss that he gave Kensi. They never really got to talk about that before he went through that traumatic situation. So there's a lot yet to be spoken about and through these first 9 or 10 episodes of the season, that's never far away.

The two of them are circling each other and it becomes a problem. This season while we celebrate the 100th episode and we lift another veil off Callen's eyes to reveal his past, it really is kind of the Kensi-Deeks season because of what happened with the kiss, what happened with his trauma, how that affects him plays out into their relationship.

By the 9th or 10th episode, it has some fairly dramatic consequences. And, then we put them both in a situation through the next 8 or so episodes. They are struggling with what happened in the 10th episode and then in the 18th episode there's this pretty powerful and surprising revelation that changes the course of their relationship in a very, very big way. And, it has nothing to do with Dani [Ruah] being pregnant by the way.

We won't be addressing that. Dani's pregnant. Kensi's not. Through the magic of television hopefully no one will notice she's pregnant. There's a series of steps throughout this season that crank up the relationship further and further and further. There's a pretty powerful revelation towards the end of the season that forces them to take stock.

Does that give you the opportunity to show more backstory about how Deeks and Kensi became the people they are today?

There are parts of their backstory that are revealed. More about Kensi than Deeks. I guess of all the -- of Callen, Sam, Deeks and Kensi, we know the least about Deeks because he was the LAPD guy who came to them. He was the late starter in their team. We know he was once a lawyer. We know he's LAPD. We've had a little bit of backstory about him. The fact that he shot his father, but there's much more to reveal about Deeks.

A little of that will be hinted at this season, but that's for a season to come. You said earlier that we are pretty fearless about how we do this, we purposefully went into this relationship so that -- I don't want the audience to start hating them because nothing ever happens. We are giving the audience a big, fun ride this season with these characters and this relationship.

The kiss was unexpected. The audience wasn't expecting that. That's why we did it. What we are revealing this season the audience won't be expecting it and that's why we're gonna do it. We'll keep doing that because that's what makes this relationship fresh in a landscape sometimes where you have these unrequited relationships. The audience can get a little annoyed if you don't move it forward. We're trying to do that in a way that keeps everyone engaged and interested and wanting to know more. This season the audience will get to know more.

I was against Deeks and Kensi hooking up until the very end of last season and it came across as so authentic which sold it to people who were against it.

Yeah. It is. A lot of it goes to how Dani and Eric [Christian Olsen] played it. And, also in the words that were written, but they totally delivered it in a very authentic way. I'm really glad you cast it in those terms because that's what it felt. It felt real. And, that's why we want to keep playing with that relationship.

We can do it in a very authentic way. Life is never as black and white as it can be on television and happy endings are hard to find in relationships and in life. And, I think we can explore their relationship in a very real way. And, certainly that's what we do in this season. We have arced the story out until episode of 18 already and it's a lot of fun and it's very authentic and it feels real.

And, that's really important to achieve that in a show that is an entertaining procedural is what it is yet we still manage to find these very authentic moments for these characters. It's great to be able to do that.

I interviewed Eric this summer and he said he thought the contents of the box would be revealed this summer. I know fans are clamoring to know about the box. Can you confirm that the mystery behind the box will be revealed this season?

I can tell you that later in the season, he takes the box down and puts it on his desk and stands over it and he may or may not open it. I can tell you that.

What else would you like to tease about season 5?

We see Nell out in the field again. She gets to fire her gun in anger. We see her out in the field again later in the season as well.

There's a little more of the budding romance and fun, nerdy romance between Eric and Nell. And, the nerdy jealousies.

There's some great pairings this season too. We'll have some very interesting partnerships.

We'll be seeing more of Granger. You're gonna see Miguel [Ferrer] in a way that you've never seen him before. We are using his formidable acting abilities this season and people are going to be blown away by him. He's fitted into the show way beyond my hopes and expectations. And, we love writing for Granger and there's a lot for him to do this season.

The other thing we're going to do for the fans that just love the Sam and Callen partnership, we're going to see them go undercover together again. We haven't done a lot of that lately, but there's going to be some very memorable episodes this season where we get to see the two of them doing their banter, doing their undercover thing and just having a lot of fun in the way the series began with them undercover.

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The box, is Kensi's and all of her favorite things. I think the "white ghost" is going to be Jack, Kensi's finace. Great writers and cast!I love this show.

Anne•October 23, 2013 09:29

Thank you Shane Brennan for not letting this relationship end like tony and zivas did I mean they did tease and continue to tease but that was enough I kind lost hope and I am sure other fans did as well thank you great show love you are doing a fantastic job congrats on the 100th episode you guys deserved it thank you for exploring more into deeks since he is such a mystery and there so much we don't know yet thank for such an amazing cast and show